Champions League 2010/11: a final countdown for famous Wembley Stadium

Barring mishap or dodgy turf, 2011 will see Wembley regain its status as
Europe’s pre-eminent football stadium.

Centre stage: the 90,000-seat Wembley Stadium will be a fitting venue for the 2011 finalPhoto: HEATHCLIFF O'MALLEY

7:00AM BST 14 Sep 2010

This season’s final will be Wembley’s sixth, more than any other venue, and is the culmination of a protracted struggle to bring the world’s biggest club game to London.

The FA intended to bid for the final in either 2008 or 2009, but delays in the construction of the new stadium scuppered that plan. It then lost out to the Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid for this year’s final, after failing to guarantee that players would not be taxed.

However, a few twisted arms and words in ears later, and Wembley has been given its showpiece occasion, seeing off competition from Munich and Berlin. It makes perfect commercial sense for both parties; Wembley’s 90,000 capacity is second only to the Nou Camp, and the final will be worth an estimated £30 million to the economy.

A significant number of tickets - expected to be around 13,000 - will be made available to the general public, and will go on sale in March.

But the FA have also been given a huge fixture headache. Uefa’s demand for a two-week window before the game has set the FA Cup final on a collision course with the Premier League. In addition, compensation has already been paid to the Football League for rearranging the play-off finals. The FA will be crossing its fingers that the occasion justifies the hassle.